My Favourite Book Worm
by oOoXTheLikelySuspectXoOo
Summary: Aria's sister Jackie comes home with the one boy Aria's ever actually liked, and what happens when he trades up for a newer, less bitchy model of his current girlfriend.
1. Opening the next chapter

May 21st

2007

That's the first time I saw him. Not the first time I _really _saw him, no that would come later. But the first time I saw Ezra Fitz he was in a cobalt blue cap and gown, three people down from my half sister Jackie. He was nose deep in a book so all I saw were those alarming ice blue eyes. I remember feeling giddy because he was reading my favorite Hemingway novel, but not in a romantic or even a crush way. It just made me feel . . .less alone. I was fourteen and had a total of four friends. My mom . . . My dad . . . my little brother . . . and Jackie.

"Drool much?" she asked me nasally, walking over to me. Okay so Jackie being my friend was a slight stretch. "No . . ." I shot back, annoyed. I was prettier than Jackie. I don't say that out of malice or hate but as a fact. It's cold outside and I am prettier. Jackie, being my mom's child, got her musty grayish brown hair and I got my dad's thick, black hair which fell down in waves over my ballerina figure. Plus, even at fourteen, I had bigger boobs. I'll never forget the first day of seventh grade and how I felt so special because all the guys were noticing me and being nice to me . . . then Ali DiLaurentis spread a rumor that they were fake and it was back to loser dom.

Jackie rolled her sickly green eyes. She got those from Joey, her dad who never saw her or even paid child support. "Whatever. That's Ezra, he's just a freakish bookworm." Why did Jackie have to be like that? I glanced back over at him, noticing he was laughing with a group of very non-dorky guys and girls. He had the sweetest smile ever.

"Yeah, well he seems nice." I spied a coffee shop across the street. "Tell mom and my dad I'm at the coffee shop." I trekked off and forgot about Ezra Fitz . . . for a few years.

FOUR YEARS LATER . . .

Current Date,

Thursday, March 9th 2011

"We're going to pick up Jackie and Ezra now." Ella smiled at me from the door.

"have fun with that . . ." I yawned pouring a cup of bitter coffee into dad's Flintstone's mug. Ezra . . . why did that name sound so familiar. Ah, yes. Book Worm. I had all but forgotten those blue eyes. If it was even the same Ezra. But then, there weren't that many Ezra's running around. I looked down at the coffee and decided it could wait and that my neck was killing me.

I danced upstairs and grabbed my hand massager of my bathroom counter, pushing it against my neck. The vibrations didn't sooth anything though so I just threw it into the top drawer. I decided I might as well get properly dressed. One look at me and Jackie would do that weird sewage dump face and I was just not in the mood.

Raking through my closet I grabbed some jeans, a turquoise and black lace bohemian top and black wedges. I wrapped my hair in a sloppy\sexy side braid and drew on a thin layer of eyeliner. My brother came out of his room at the same time as me. He gave me a once over and chuckled.

"What?" I was clearly annoyed.

He smirked, "Maybe next time you seduce Jackie's boyfriend, be less subtle." I rolled my eyes and clopped downstairs. It wasn't even that seductive of an outfit. I dipped my finger in the coffee, and to my slightest relief, it was cold. It was shitty anyway.

"I wonder what this guy will look like . . ."

"I've seen him before." I said coolly . . . "He's cute. Y'know like a puppy." Mike nodded. I grabbed my iphone off the counter and started listening to My Morning Jacket, this band that Jackie hated. "All their songs are the same. Weird lyrics and orgasmic vocals." It made me smile, thinking of a 6th grade me blushing at the word orgasm. Screw her, the songs were great. I heard a muffled mike over the lyrics and turned it down.

"What?" I asked. I took mike in as he rolled his eyes. His 'lucky' Redwings jersey had a small tear in the left sleeve and his jeans were muddy from whatever queer lacrosse event he went to last night. Mike was my dad's son but not Ella's technically he and Jackie weren't even related. And I know it's a little fucked that he's my younger brother and isn't my mom's but my dad donated sperm to a friend of his and when she decided she didn't want to be a mom, he decided he wanted his son. We're a weird family . . . but we work.

"I said, do you think this guy is a jack ass?"

I snorted lightly, "No." I decided to remove the ear buds all together. "Not that I know him from more than a glance, but he look too much like a . . . like . . ."

" . . . Liiiikeee a pussy?" Mike chuckled.

I wrinkled my nose at him, "Like a nice guy." The bell rang loudly not a second after I finished.

"Guess we're about to find out!" Mike jumped off the couch mischievously. Mike ran to the kitchen leaving me to get the door.

"Sorry I was in the other . . ." I trailed off as I looked up at him. He had thick, adorable brown curls. His brilliant blue eyes were even more stunning all these years later. And that boyish smile . . . oh it had never faultered. ". . . room . . . um, hi. I'm Aria. The little sister?" I tried awkwardly.

"Ezra." He smiled, making me get queasy in a good way. "Did you come to Jackie and I's graduation party?" my stomach flipped. He remembered!

"Yeah . . . you were reading The Sun Also Rises. I remember because it's my favorite." Ezra smirked and looked as though he was about to say something when Jackie walked up and passed Ezra a bag.

"It's his, too. What did I tell you Z? You two should be in a club or something." She sashayed past him, Ella and Byron following.

Ezra looked down, a slightly annoyed look taking place on his face. "Z?" I asked, easing the tension. He rolled his eyes, "All my college friends call me that. Jackie thought it would help my image when we started out."

I nodded. Help _her _image. "If it makes you feel better, from ages 2 to 7, my parents called me Pookie Bear. But . . . all good things must come to an end." Ezra laughed and nodded, beginning to walk upstairs. I had a feeling I was going to like Book Worm.


	2. Everybody! Shot, shots, shots, shot shot

**Thanks for reviewing you guys! Just so you know I changed the rating to T because I don't think it's fair to lead you on with a story that is NOT going to be as M-ish as one would expect. Again thanks for reading and please enjoy this next chapter. **

I tried to keep my mouth closed as I was laughing at Ezra's joke. He was a hit, especially with Mom and Dad. Jackie smiled, glad they loved him even if she couldn't understand his joke. He was so funny, but very smart. As well as a great cook! We were busy scarfing down the delicious ratatouille he had put together almost immediately after unpacking.

"Ezra you are absolutely delightful!" Ella shrieked. I bit my lip, finding humor in my mother's overly enthused voice. If I hadn't seen the video of my own home birth, I wouldn't fully believe I was my mother's daughter. I'm too much like Byron. Who . . . at this moment was pouring Ezra another tumbler of scotch.

I wrinkled my nose at it and Ezra noticed. "You don't like Scotch, Aria?" He smirked, taking an insulting swig. I laughed lightly, swallowing the pasta.

"No. That stuff could strip the paint of my bug, let alone my insides."

"You're what?" Ezra asked.

"My insides?" I asked sarcastically. Ezra laughed his beautiful eye-crinkling laugh.

Jackie chortled, the laugh she always gave when I said something stupid or lame. "Aria has the ugliest little blue Volkswagen Bug. She treats it better than a human baby." She gave a ridiculous laugh, showing her pointy teeth.

"As opposed to Jackie, who just eats human babies." Mike guffawed, swallowing some grape soda. Everyone except Jackie laughed.

"I love bugs." Ezra smiled, "I had one in college until . . . well . . ."

"Until I convinced you to get rid of it." Jackie said proudly, taking his hand. I'd be lying if I said it didn't thrill me a little when he pulled back, a regretful look on his face.

"More like until you sold it while I was in Arizona, visiting my sister." Everyone's demeanor became awkward and quiet. "Please excuse me." He smiled flatly, getting up and going to the upstairs bathroom.

Everyone looked at Jackie who simply shrugged, "It was better for his image anyway." I just chugged down my last sip and picked up Ezra's dish and mine, putting them in the sink and jogging upstairs. I noticed the light under the bathroom door and knocked.

Ezra flung open the door, my neck massager in his hand and a smirk on his face. "What is this?"

"A neck massager." I said simply.

"Uh-huh." He smiled, putting it back in the top drawer.

"What do you – No, you don't think it's a . . ." I trailed off. He shrugged and rose his eyebrows. "You perv!" I pushed his shoulder and we both started laughing. "What about you. Going through people's drawers?"

"Hey! I am just an innocent gentleman looking for some mouth wash." He said simply. I shook my head and smiled, opening the mirror cabinet and getting the large crest bottle out handing it to him and laughing.

"Just let me know if you need anything else. I don't need any more accusations against me form you."

"Aye, aye." He smiled, giving me a small salute as I shut the door behind me. I slipped into my room and started to unbraid my tresses, letting them cascade in chunky waves. I smiled to myself thinking of Ezra and how great he was. Genuinely great. Not the fake, preppy, Rosewood clones Jackie always hung around. I couldn't place my finger on why she set her sights on him. Then it hit me. Because I had liked him first.

A few moments later I trotted downstairs to see the house vacated, minus Ezra's faint gurgling upstairs. Eventually, though, I found a note on the fridge.

_Aria! Your sister, father, and I decided to take a welcome home trip for the evening and dropped Mike of at Sam's. We figured Ezra wouldn't be in the mood and neither would you but maybe you two can bond some. We love you both! Xoxo, Mommy_

I rolled my eyes slightly before Ezra walked downstairs, screwing around with a cuff link. "Where's the fam?" He asked.

I sat up to the kitchen's island. "Went on a trip without us. Decided for us that we wouldn't like it and left us to bond. Ezra nodded like he was used to Jackie pulling stunts like that. I looked down at my chipped nail then at him, "Maybe I'm out of line but I have a huge Exam in two days and you just had a thirteen hour flight then cooked, like, the best food I have eaten in years . . ." I paused as he let out a humble laugh, "How about we get hammered?"

Ezra smirked, "Are you even old enough to drink?"

"I'm nineteen and I know this great Icelandic bar in Old Hollis who serves you as long as you're over eighteen." I let the offer hang in the air.

"Can I drive the bug?" he smiled. I giggled, grabbing the keys from my back pocket.

"Deal."

I inhaled the smoky scent of the bar as Ezra told me an un-Jackie-related college story. "You laugh in your sleep?" I asked incredulously. He nodded, laughing as he took a gulp of Amstel. "That's cute." I smiled, forgetting he was my sisters _very _serious boyfriend, then adding, "It's better than snoring.

"Not according to Jackie. She says it's annoying." I frowned, "I don't expect you to get it. Your boyfriend probably thinks you hold the moon."

I shrugged, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"I don't believe that."

I laughed, "What do you mean?"

"I meeeeeean . . . you're a knock out! You're beautiful, funny . . ." He paused, becoming aware of what he was saying. "And you're as smart as hell."

I crinkled my left eye, "Is hell smart?" I took a sip of my German beer as Ezra smiled back at me.

"Oh! Oh listen, listen to this. This song has the best guitar solo!" he stood up near me, airguitaring to an Atlanta Rhythm Section song slightly as I tried to keep beer from bubbling out my nose. He smiled, sitting next to me again. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure." I smiled.

"I remember seeing you on graduation. And I thought you were the cutest girl I had ever seen." I could tell he was getting tipsy, but it did make my insides go crazy.

"I remember those big husky blue eyes, too. I was going to talk to you but Jackie made fun of me and I figured a very, very cute high school graduate wouldn't be interested in a girl just out of her first year of high school . . ."

". . . And I figured you'd think I was a weirdo, coming up to you when I'd never even seen you before."

I smiled sadly, raising my bottle, "Here's to living without regrets?"

He looked down before a second without nodding, "Without regrets."

**THANKA! PLZ review!**


	3. No Titty Bar

**Just a shameless filler, but and update none the less. **

"!" I sang in an opera voice through the bar's rotary phone. I was smashed and knew I was in no condition to drive so I called my closest friend Hanna Marin. Shortly after I walked into the coffee shop on graduation day so many years ago, Hanna and another girl named Spencer walked in. They complimented me on my electric blue cheetah print ankle booties and we had been best friends ever since.

"Aria? Are you drunk?" she asked and I could hear the smile in her voice. Amongst our friends, I was the most level headed of the group, which meant never getting wasted. I looked over the bar for Ezra and eventually noticed he was dancing on table tops to some eighties song that was blaring from the speakers.

"Y-yo-you have no reason to judge, aheh, me. I need you to come and,uh, I mean." I slurred helplessly.

I heard her sigh and laugh, "I'll be there in a minute." Like I had to tell her where I was. This had been there hang out when Halbjorn, the original owner, didn't card ANYONE. I hung the phone up and made my way to Ezra who, since the song was fading, was dismounting a table, pulling several dollars from his belt loops.

"How much did you make tonight, Starla?" I joked. His floppy hair stuck to his forehead as he counted.

"Uh . . . twenty three dollars. Does this place make coffee?" He asked rubbing his temple.

"Aw, poor baby." I smirked, pulling him by his hand to the bar. "Can we get two of the strongest, sobering coffee's you have, Fjord?" I asked the bartender who I had known since I was sixteen.

"Ten dollars." He muttered in his thick Icelandic accent. He nodded to Ezra as he started the brew, "Tell your boyfriend we no have license." He turned his glare directly to Ezra, "No titty bar, okay?" Ezra and Aria began giggling fiercely.

Half way through the bar, we were both back to normal. I leaned over the bar, hugging Fjord before we left, and lingered outside with Ezra, letting the crisp and cold air hit me, making me feel cleaner. "How are we going to get home?" Ezra asked worriedly. I smiled at his tone.

"I called my friend, she'll be here soon." I sipped my coffee lightly.

"Thank you for this, Aria. I needed a fun night. Sometimes with Jackie . . . nevermind."

"No, tell me." I nudged him.

He shrugged, "It just . . . I can't breath. She makes me act the way she thinks is right. I can't even act like me unless we're alone and even then she makes me feel like I just suck." He downed the rest of his drink, tossing it in the bars outdoor wire trash can.

I frowned. My sister was such a bitch. She didn't even want Ezra. It was just one way she could win over me. "Well I think you're pretty damn great. I mean you are probably the smartest guy I have ever met but funny as the stupidest. And you're so nice and really cute!" we caught each other's eyes. "I mean . . . um . . ."

"I know." He sighed, leaning against the bar wall. "I wish I had talked to you on grad day."

I nodded, "But you didn't."

"Y'know what I heard Jackie say to herself the day before we got here? 'I can't wait to see Aria's face.' Like I didn't even matter. It was all about making you jealous. I didn't understand then but . . . now I do."

I folded my arms and just looked away. But that became a hard thing to do when I felt his lips on mine.

**Filler chapter, but please REVIEW**


	4. We Have Cocoa! And Splenda!

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry! I'll try to give you a longer than usual chapter this time! PLEASE REVIEW!**

"Ezra!" I gasped pushing him back. I didn't want to, his lips molded against mine perfectly. I heard Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard quietly from the bar as I tried to gather my thoughts.

He looked down at me then shook his head. "Oh – oh, shit, Aria! Aria I'm really sorry I didn't mean it." He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't mean it. That hurt a bit, I won't lie. I jumped when I heard a honk.

"Aria, Tall Dude, get in the car! I'm freezing!" Hanna yelled over bright lights. Great, now I had to ride home through the Spanish inquisition.

"C'mon." I mumbled to Ezra. He looked like a baby squirrel that had just lost his nuts as he shuffled behind me.

As Hanna pulled out of the lot, she explained she brought Emily along to drive my car home. We talked a bit, but Hanna was mainly interested in Jackie's fiancé. "So, _Ezra_, How did you meet the Wicked Bitch of the West." Ezra glanced at me, the first time since the kiss.

"We went to high school and college together."

"Was it love at first sight?" Hanna giggled.

Ezra shifted in his seat, nibbling on his lower lip, "Not really, I mean I always thought she was pretty. She's the one who pursued me in college and we've been together since. But, uh, things aren't working out, really." I bugged my eyes at him and he made sure to keep eye contact with me. It seemed to last forever and then Hanna jolted us from our moment.

"We're, uh, here . . . so . . ." she tapped her fingers on the wheel, glancing at us from the rear view mirror. "Get out." She said abruptly and we scuffled into the freezing weather. "Thanks, Han." I whispered before shutting the door. Emily waved quickly, sprinting across the lawn, into the car with Hanna and driving off. It was below freezing but the tension between him and I heated us plenty and kept us outside the house.

"Are we going to talk about this?" I looked at him, my teeth chattering. "Because if we aren't I need to be alone to _seriously _think about it!" I breathed harshly.

"Honestly . . . I can't muster up anything but clichés and sappy, yet patronizing and even slightly facetious-" damn his beguiling and exemplary vernacular.

"Oh just shut up." I breathed, stomping over to him, grabbing him by the curls and crushing our lips together. It was a hundredth of a second before he responded. I didn't break until I absolutely needed the oxygen. Oh my god. It was like I had burst into flames from that mere touch. I didn't even know kisses could do that. Apparently they can. I could tell by Ezra's adorably goofy grin that he was about to lunge for another when the door creaked open. _Shit, SHIT, SHIT!_

"Is anyone out there?" I heard Byron's voice. _Thank God! _I looked around me and realized it was far too dark for anyone to see our faces or even the compromising position we were in. I wrangled away from Ezra and yelled over the windy ice cold air, "Hey dad! It's me and Ezra, we just got back from a movie. I can't find me key, haha!" I giggled nervously, mentally smacking my forehead.

"Well come in you two! We have cocoa!" Byron beckoned encouragingly. Ezra and I didn't so much as look at each other as we scurried into the warm house. I glanced at Ezra, his eyes guilty and excited at the same time, and I felt my cheeks go scarlet.

"So what did you two get up to?" Jackie said leisurely, pouring half a Splenda into her cocoa. I rolled my eyes. Only Jackie would try to shave calories off Cocoa.

"We just hung out in the city." I shrugged. I mixed myself a cup and eyed Jackie as I plopped three large spoonfuls of sugar in mine. "Ezra's quite a dancer." I winked at him, trying to ease the tension. I could tell by his flush and his grin it had worked.

Jackie's ugly snort pierced the air. "Ezra? He has three left feet, and one of them is always in his mouth!" She continued to snicker but was the only one who found it funny. Everyone else just stared at their cocoa.

"God, Jackie do you always have to be so dense?" Everyone's eyes snapped to me, but Ezra and Mike were smirking as if to say, _atta girl!_

"I'm going upstairs." I walked into the kitchen, hearing Jackie say something about me acting childishly and Mike telling her to sit and spin. I smiled, good ol' Mike. I poured a large mug full of the cocoa and more sugar, then grabbed a few of the Chocolate chips from Weld's Bakery down the road that mom had picked up earlier. They were Jackie's favorites. I pursed my lips and grabbed a few more, leaving only five cookies. Jackie always pigged on these, if they weren't around she LOST it. Then I jogged upstairs.

I was half way into a log for one of my short stories when there was a knock at my door. "Come in." I eyed the door. Ezra stepped in, wearing flannel pj bottoms and a loose of white v-neck. Damn.

"I just wanted to say thanks for tonight." He smiled, unsure. I just smiled a tight, quick grin. "Aria, I-"

"Please don't." I shook my head. I looked up at him, into his eyes. "Ezra I like you. A lot. Way more than I should. But right now you are with Jackie. So be with Jackie, okay?" I clicked of my laptop and leaned over to turn my lamp off. "Goodnight, Ezra." I hummed.

There was a brief silence then I heard the door close and I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of delicious breakfast foods from downstairs. I noticed it was 7:30, way too early for any Montgomery to be up and cooking on a Saturday. I shuffled into my shorts and a pajama top and trotted downstairs. I heard Ezra's voice, but he was singing.

"Well there's a rose in the fisted glove and eagle flies with the dove. And if you can't be with the one you love honey, love the one you're with. Don't be angry - don't be sad, don't sit crying over good times you've had. There's a girl right next to you and she's just waiting for something to do . . ." He had a lovely voice. And I could think of only one thing making him sing that song.

"Ezra! Could you please stop singing? I'm trying to _read_." I rolled my eyes at Jackie's snarky voice. I glanced into the living room to see her reading a Cosmopolitan.

I pranced into the kitchen, "I thought you sounded nice." I whispered. He smiled when he noticed my presence. "What's all this?" I pointed to the massive spread around the kitchen. There was bacon, eggs, sausage, sautéed potato wedges, a tomato dish, some Yorkshire pudding, hot cakes, waffles, donut holes (how?), French toast and even home fries. I even noticed to big dishes of what appeared to be home made cinnamon buns. It could feed an army.

He smiled to himself, "I majored in English but minored in culinary arts." He leaned closer to me and whispered, "Thought it might be a good idea to butter up the family." I laughed but deep inside me it pained, did this mean he was staying with Jackie _seriously_? What about her snide comments? What about his comment about things not working? What . . . what about us?

Ugh! I slapped myself for thinking that. A kiss is nothing. We both had alcohol in our systems and we were in the heat of the moment! Plus, Jackie and Ezra have been together for a little over three years. Which most likely means they've done the dirty, right? And how disgusting is that image, even thinking of a guy in _that way _when he's crossed the line with my sister. Even if she is just my half sister.

"Aria?" He snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked irritated.

He smirked, "I asked you how you liked your bacon?" he tapped the spatula on the skillet that had several pieces if medium bacon. Oh god, how long had he been talking to me while I was on autopilot.

"Um . . . thick and crunchy." I rubbed my eyes. "I'm gonna go wash up before breakfast."

He nodded and when I was halfway up the stairs he yelled up, "Don't forget the neck massager." Followed by a dirty laugh that I couldn't help mimicking as I shut the door.

**I know that was still short but I hope you liked PLEASE REVIEW! I'll update soon! PROMISE!**


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